Gelato vs Ice Cream: What's the Difference?

What is gelato?

Gelato is the Italian style of frozen dessert. It's usually made with more milk and less cream than ice cream, and churned more slowly, so less air gets whipped in. That's why gelato tends to be dense and smooth. It's also usually served a little less cold.

Gelato Time makes real gelato at home from one sachet. Our three milk gelatos, Choc Heaven, Vanilla Bean and Salty Caramel, mix with 360 mL of full cream milk, freeze overnight, then churn on your machine's GELATO setting.

Gelato vs ice cream

The short version:

• Base: gelato leans on milk. Ice cream usually leans on cream.
• Air: gelato is churned more slowly, so it holds less air and tastes denser. Ice cream is churned faster and holds more.
• Temperature: gelato is usually served a little less cold than ice cream.

In a Ninja™ CREAMi™, GELATO is the setting you churn on once your mix is completely frozen. Same setting for all six of our flavours.

Is gelato dairy free?

Usually not. Gelato is traditionally made with milk, and so are our three milk gelatos: each one mixes with 360 mL of full cream milk.

Our three sorbets, Strawberry Rush, Lime Blast and Blood Orange Punch, mix with water instead. Even so, they carry a "may contain milk" allergen statement, so none of the six are dairy-free. Check the allergen panel on the back of each pack.

Sorbet vs gelato

Gelato is milk-based. Sorbet is water-based. In our range that's the split: three milk gelatos mixed with full cream milk, and three sorbets mixed with water. Just add water for the sorbets.

Same three steps, same GELATO setting, and each sachet makes approx. 500 mL.

Make it at home

All you need is a sachet, milk or water, and an at-home gelato maker. Gelato Time is made for the Ninja™ CREAMi™ and NutriBullet Chill™, and works with other at-home gelato makers too.

Tonight: mix. Tomorrow: gelato. Pick a flavour from our Ninja™ CREAMi™ recipes.